【明報專訊】THE Census and Statistics Department has released the results of its 2006 by-census. Two situations are noteworthy. First, in the decade between 1996 and 2006, the number of female employees increased sharply by 384,651, while that of male employees went up slightly by 5,236. Second, the household income distribution tended to become M-shaped. In the decade, the percentage of households whose monthly incomes were between $10,000 and $40,000 fell from 61.2% to 55%, that of those whose monthly incomes were below $10,000 rose from 23.9% to 27.9%, and that of those whose monthly incomes were above $40,000 rose from 15% to 17%. There was a conspicuous trend towards polarisation.
政府統計處公布2006年中期人口統計簡要結果，有兩點特別值得注意：（1）女性勞動人口激增，較1996年增加384,651人，同期男性勞動人口只微增5236人；（2）住戶收入分佈呈現M形變化，月入1萬至4萬元的家庭住戶比率，從10年前的61.2％跌至55％；月入1萬元以下的住戶比率，則從23.9％增至27.9％；月入4萬元以上的住戶，也從15％增至17％，兩極分化趨勢明顯。
The first situation mentioned above shows that more and more mainland women have settled in the territory. Consequently, it has become harder to find jobs. Though the economy has recovered, low-paid jobs have increased. Working poverty has been worsening.
這兩項統計結果，第一項主要反映內地婦女來港數目持續增加，令就業市場受到壓力，尤其是低薪職位，竟然逆經濟復蘇潮流而上升，令在職貧窮問題愈益嚴重。
More and more mainland women have settled in Hong Kong. That means it has become harder to find jobs. That also shows that more and more Hong Kong men have married mainland women. As an indirect result, more and more Hong Kong women remain single, and it is increasingly hard for them to find marriage partners.
除了對低技術勞動力市場造成壓力，內地婦女來港數字激增，也反映香港男士與內地女子結婚的人數不斷上升，間接導致本地單身女性數目大增，本地女子找結婚對象愈益困難。
In the period between 1996 and 2006, while the percentage of households whose monthly income were between $10,000 and $40,000 came down, both that of those in the lower income bracket and that of those in the higher income bracket went up. That mainly shows that, as Hong Kong's economy restructures, its poor-rich gap widens. Employees whose skills do not meet the needs of the times may earn less and leave the middle class after they have entered the middle age bracket. However, taking advantage of opportunities arising from globalisation, well-paid people earn more and more. The trend towards polarisation in the salaried class has been a subject of much discussion in America, Japan, Taiwan and other places. A trend towards what is called an M-shaped society is not conducive to social stability or harmony. It impedes upward social mobility. It poses a huge challenge for policy-makers.
至於1萬至4萬元中等收入住戶的比例萎縮，低收入住戶和高收入住戶的比例卻同時上升，主要反映經濟轉型下，貧富懸殊問題正愈趨嚴重，知識和技術追不上時代要求的勞工，在步入中年後收入下降，跌出中產行列；高薪僱員卻得益於全球化帶來的機會，收入持續上升。這個「所得階層兩極化」的趨勢，在美國、日本、台灣等地引起廣泛談論，稱為M形社會，不利社會穩定和諧，阻礙階級向上流動，是政策制訂者的一大挑戰。
In the decade between 1996 and 2006, the number of Hong Kong males aged 15 or above increased by 276,551, while that of Hong Kong females aged 15 or above increased by 581,602. The difference between the two figures is 305,051.
過去10年，15歲及以上的男性人口增加276,551人，15歲及以上的女性人口卻增加了581,602人，相差達到 305,051人。
The difference between the number of male employees and female employees in Hong Kong is even greater. In the decade, the number of male employees rose slightly by 5,236, while that of female employees went up sharply by 384,651. The difference is 379,415. The 380,000 female employees fell mainly into three groups. First, 82,000 of them were locals. The ratio of local female employees did increase from 49.2% to 52.4%. Second, about 83,000 of them came from such countries as the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. They were mostly domestic helpers. Third, the remaining 200,000 came from the mainland. Most of them were married to Hong Kong men and had come here under the One Way Permit Scheme.
勞動人口的差幅更巨大，10年間，男性勞動人口只微增5236人，女性勞動人口卻增加384,651人，相差達到 379,415人。這38萬個新增的女性勞動者，有三大來源：（1）約8.2萬人，源於本地婦女參與勞動的比率上升（從49.2%增至52.4%）；（2）約8.3萬人源於菲律賓、印尼和泰國等地來港居住人口的增長（主要是女性家庭傭工）；（3）餘下逾20萬人，主要是內地新移民，絕大多數是與本地男子結婚後申請單程證來港。
In 1996, about 60,000 Hong Kong men got married, 24,000 of their brides were mainland women, and 2,200 such marriages were registered in Hong Kong. In 2006, about 60,000 Hong Kong men got married, 28,000 of their brides were mainland women, and 18,000 such marriages were registered in Hong Kong. In the decade, the number of single Hong Kong women sharply increased by 220,000, or by more than 20,000 a year on average.
1996年，本地男子締結的大約6萬宗婚姻中，內地新娘佔2.4萬宗，其中2200宗在港登記。2006年，本地男子締結的6萬宗婚姻裏，內地新娘增加至2.8萬宗，其中1.8萬宗在港登記。這10年裏，本地單身女士的數目大幅增加22萬，平均每年逾2萬。
As more and more Hong Kong men have wives who come from the mainland, each year 20,000 to 30,000 women settle in the territory. Statistics show that most of them are poorly educated and unskilled. That has also indirectly made it harder and harder for Hong Kong women to find marriage partners. The number of women who cannot but remain single has therefore surged.
這個港男與內地女子通婚的社會趨勢，一方面為香港帶來每年2萬至3萬個成年女性新移民，統計顯示絕大部分屬於低知識和低技術，另一方面，也間接造成本地女士找結婚對象日益困難，被迫單身的女士數目大增。
We have no intention of telling citizens what sort of people they should marry. The government cannot possibly ask Hong Kong men to try to marry mainland women who are well educated, nor can it possibly call on Hong Kong women to be less demanding in choosing their marriage partners. However, if it is impossible to alter the trend, to restore the gender balance of its population and to arrest the decline of its workforce's quality, Hong Kong should positively consider bringing in well-educated mainlanders, especially well-educated single mainland men.
我們無意左右市民的嫁娶決定，政府不可能要求本地男士回內地找高學歷的對象結婚，也不可能呼籲本地女士降低擇偶條件；然而，如果這個趨勢無法改變，香港應積極考慮吸引更多高學歷的內地人口，尤其是內地高知識高學歷的單身男士，令社會的人口結構變化能夠陰陽調和，同時減輕勞動人口質素下滑的幅度。
February 23, 2007
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